The next morning arrived a few hours later, even though the sky gave no indication of that in its current state. Ash was the first to heed the new day's call as he yawned and slowly opened his eyes, taking a few moments to regain his senses. He turned slightly towards the other bed in the room and was happy to see May still sleeping peacefully upon it with her Glaceon nestled at her feet. He couldn't help but smile at her. Even just the sight of her was enough to give him hope. He loved that woman deeply and he was never going to let anything happen to her again. That he knew for sure. With that, he got up and gave his body a quick stretch before going to her side and gently shaking her.

"Mm..." she mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes and saw Ash beside her. Somehow even the sensation of waking up next to him was familiar to her.

"Hey..." he whispered with a soft smile. May blushed a little and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sat up.

"Hey..." she echoed. Their interaction seemed to wake Pikachu and Glaceon as they both yawned and shook out their fur. May sat up and stretched out her arms before turning back towards him. "Morning already?"

"Yeah." He confirmed before looking out the window which drew May's attention as well. "Though it's hard to tell time much at all right now."

"Right…" she sighed as she looked out the window, frowning at the sky's unchanged appearance. "I wish it looked like a better morning..."

"I agree but we'll make the sky look better soon." He promised her. She gave him a small nod back before she got up and stretched a bit more thoroughly. Pikachu meanwhile moved from Ash's bed to May's, nuzzling his beloved Glaceon who nuzzled him back. Ash smiled at them before turning his attention back to May.

"I'll just need a minute to change into some fresh clothes." She explained to him, hinting that she wanted some privacy.

"Oh! Right of course!" Ash blushed sheepishly as he quickly dashed out of the room. Pikachu and Glaceon followed him out, leaving May alone to change into a fresh outfit.

After a quick breakfast with Cogita and Volo, Ash, and May left their land along with Pikachu and Glaceon, heading for the Crimson Mirelands and the Shrouded Ruins. Luckily for them, it was much closer than the majority of places they had gone the day before. They finally entered the correct area and made their way towards the taller hills in the more northern area.

"There are the ruins, on top of that hill." May said, pointing to a set of badly damaged ruins just visible on top of the hill.

"Alright then. Climbing up there from here will be faster than trying to find and follow the path. So let's do this." He suggested. She nodded and both of them began climbing up the side of the hill. It wasn't as steep as the cliffs of the Coronet Highlands, but it was a difficult climb all the same. Once they were about halfway to their destination, May slipped a little when the rock under her foot suddenly broke apart.

"Whoa!" she yelped. The sound of her distress triggered Ash and he quickly caught her with an arm around her waist before she could go tumbling down the side of the hill.

"I got you!" he assured her as he pulled her body to his chest. May quickly grabbed onto him to stop herself from falling, wrapping her arms around his torso as she worked to regain some stable footing. Both trainers suddenly made eye contact and froze in place, blushing as they stared at one another. Just like when they first reunited, time seemed to stop around them and it felt as though they were the only two people in the world. After what felt like an eternity of watching one another, May was the first to snap out of her trance and spoke up.

"Th-Thanks..." she stammered, which seemed to snap Ash out of his trace as well.

"Anytime May..." he assured her as he helped her find new hand and foot holds before he slowly let go of her. Once both of them were secure once again, they continued their climb up the hill. It took some more time, but soon enough they were both able to climb to the top of the hill and they were finally able to breathe sighs of relief.

"I hate mountain climbing…" May mumbled.

"Can't say I'm too big of a fan either…" Ash panted. Both of them took a moment to catch their breath before getting back on their feet. May dusted off her clothes while Ash looked towards the ruins. There wasn't much left of whatever they were. Mostly there were badly damaged stone pillars and a few remains of stone walls scattered among them. It wasn't very apparent right away what they were looking for, so he could only hope there would be a sign or something once they got closer.

"Let's do this." May announced as she began heading towards the ruins. Ash nodded and followed her to the site. As they approached none of the structures looked all that remarkable, but then May found one that did seem a bit different. "Ash look at this. That wall has some kind of writing on it."

"Let me see." He replied as he walked over and looked at it with her. There was indeed a litany of symbols that were all arranged in rows. And they indeed looked like some kind of writing using symbols that almost looked like the Noble Pokemon he had encountered on this adventure. "Looks like pictures of Pokémon on it..."

"Sure does." she nodded. "But arranged in a specific way. Almost like hieroglyphics."

"I see…I wonder what it says." He added.

"There you two are!" a voice called out to them. Both of them turned around and their eyes widened in surprise when they saw Volo walking towards them with his trademark excited smile.

"Volo?" Ash blinked.

"What are you doing here?" May questioned him.

"I love ancient myths remember?" he reminded them with a friendly smile. "There's no way I could miss the creation of the red chain."

"I see." Ash responded was a small smile of his own. No doubt he and Cynthia were related. He could picture her doing the same thing if she could.

"How exactly do we make it...?" May asked.

"That I'm afraid I don't know..." he answered with a scratch of the head. But before Ash could voice his frustration with this, three bright lights suddenly lit up above the hieroglyphics on the wall, drawing everyone's attention. Within the blink of an eye, Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit all teleported to their location, surprising the trainers before them.

"The Lake Guardians?" Volo asked in awe.

"Yeah…" May answered with a small nod.

"What are you three doing here?" Ash wondered aloud. All three of the little Pokemon smiled at him and began to glow with a soft red light.

"If I'm not mistaken...I think they're here to help create the Red Chain." Volo guessed.

"Is that true...?" he asked the Legendary Pokemon, who all nodded in response.

"That's really cool." May smiled as Ash pulled out the materials they had earned just a day earlier. They all watched as the three objects floated up and began to spin about in a circle. They all seemed to start melting together through the Psychic energy around them.

"Whoa..." Ash whispered as he watched the process. In a blink of an eye, the materials melted together and transformed into the Red Chain, one that looked near identical to the one Ash remember from his dealings with Team Galactic. With those memories in his head, he was almost hesitant to take the artifact as it floated toward his hands. But remembering Cogita's instructions, he took a deep breath and took the Red Chain into his hands.

"So that's the Red Chain…?" May asked, looking over his shoulder at the dazzling artifact.

"Yeah, it is…" Ash nodded.

"Well Ash, I believe you have your evidence for Commander Kamado." Volo said with a confident smile.

"Right. I have to go to Jubilife Village right away and explain what I've found." He agreed.

"Well, I've heard through the grapevine that a Pokémon has been spotted on the other side of the rift. And now the Commander is planning to take a team to the Temple of Sinnoh and destroy the Pokémon on the other side. So you're going to want to hurry." The Ginko Guild member explained. Ash nodded confidently as he stashed the Red Chain in his bag and May watched him work with his newfound determination. She rubbed her arm, seemingly unsure if she should go with him on this next leg of his quest. Ash was quick to notice her hesitation and turned towards her.

"May will you come with me?" he asked, offering her a hand. A blush crossed her face as her breath seemed to catch in her throat.

"I...I don't know...I've never been in the village..." she commented. "And what good can I do anyway…?"

"It doesn't matter. I want to have you by my side when we finish this mission." He assured her, causing her blush to deepen.

"Well…"

"You should go May. You can provide witnesses to what has happened. And I think Ash would enjoy your company." Volo chimed in with a wink. May glanced back at Ash who gave her the same smile that made her heart flutter even now.

"I guess...if he really wants me to come..."

"I really do May..."

"...Ok."

"Thanks, May..." he smiled, earning a small smile from her in return as she accepted his outstretched hand.

"You two go ahead. I'd like to examine these ruins a bit more before I head out." Volo informed them. Both Ash and May nodded in understanding before taking off toward Jubilife Village as fast as their feet could carry them.

With their speed on their side, it wasn't long before the towering gates of Jubilife Village came into view. Wasting no time, Ash ran through the gates with May right on his heels. They both went by so fast that neither one even noticed that someone new was standing watch at the gate. And unlike them, she recognized Ash immediately.

"Ash?!" Akari gasped when she saw him pass, causing both Ash and May to skid to a stop and turn around.

"Akari?! Look I'm sorry but I can't talk! We need to go see the Commander about my evidence!" he said in a hurried tone. Akari was so surprised by his declaration that she didn't even seem to take notice of May, who was standing there with an awkward look on her face.

"You found evidence?!" she gasped.

"I did. It's a long story but I need to speak with Commander Kamado right away." He insisted.

"I'm glad but...the Commander has already left town!" Akari informed them, causing both Ash and May to gasp.

"Wait what?! He's gone already?!" Ash yelled.

"He left early this morning and took the entire Security Corp with him...it's why I'm standing sentry." She explained with a worried look on her face.

"What?! Is he crazy?!" Ash demanded in a stunned voice.

"He's just been going on and on about protecting the village ever since you left..." Akari sighed.

"Sounds like he's lost it..." he growled under his breath.

"He left Captain Cyllene in charge at Headquarters. I know she'll listen to what you've found." She countered.

"You're right. Let's go." Ash nodded as he ran towards headquarters. Both May and Akari followed him, each one looking at the other with an awkward and almost suspicious look. Pikachu noticed the awkwardness between them and nudged Ash towards them, reminding him that he hadn't done introductions. "Oh right! May this is Akari, my partner in the Galaxy Team Survey Corps. Akari this is May, the girlfriend I told you about."

"Oh…" both women said at the same time as they shared another awkward glance with one another. Ash could feel the tension between them and he knew it was something they were going to have to address, but it would have to wait. They all entered headquarters and went right over to the Captain's office and drew her attention upon their entrance.

"Ash? I assume that since you've returned, you have news that will help solve this crisis." She said, standing up from her desk.

"I have." He nodded as he pulled the Red Chain out of his bag. "This is called the Red Chain. May and I helped create it with the help of the Lake Guardians."

"And how can it help us with this rift situation?" the Captain questioned him further.

"I have to take it up to the rift. I think from there it has the power to close the rift permanently." He explained.

"And you're confident in your success?"

"Absolutely."

"Very well." She nodded. "Then I hereby reinstate you as a member of the Survey Corps."

"Captain, are you sure you can do that without the Commander's approval?" Akari asked.

"If he didn't want me making these decisions he shouldn't have left me in charge." Cyllene commented, with the tiniest hint of a smirk on her face.

"She's got a point there." Ash laughed, prompting May and Akari to smile softly.

"Then Ash your mission is to take the Red Chain to the top of Mt. Coronet and save us all." The Captian instructed him.

"Understood Captain." Ash nodded as he turned and looked at May. "Let's go May!"

"O-Ok. I'm with you." She nodded, though clearly nervous. Ash simply smiled at her and took her hand in his own, causing May to blush and Akari to glare at them, stepping back into the conversation.

"I'm coming with you. You'll need all the help you can get." She announced, surprising May and making Ash smile.

"Thanks, Akari! Let's do this!" he cheered confidently as he left the room, still holding May's hand. Akari clenched a fist at her side but still followed them out as they all ran towards the village gates.

After a long trek to and through the Coronet Highlands, Ash's team arrived back at the Moonview Arena, the closest area to the Temple of Sinnoh. They had all taken a moment there to rest and recover from their trek, but now they were all ready to continue. They all began a march further up the mountain into an area so high up that snow was actually beginning to stick to the ground as the air got thinner.

"There's a cave at the top that leads to the Temple. It should be just ahead." Akari informed them as they walked.

"I think I see it." May commented as she pointed to an opening in the rockface near the cliffs.

"Strange." Akari commented. "Normally there's a guard there to keep people out."

"Let's not look a gift Ponyta in the mouth. Let's go in!" Ash decided. Akari and May nodded in agreement and all three trainers ran into the cave. They moved up a narrow and steep path until they came to a more open cavern. However, this new cavern was not empty. Ash noticed someone familiar standing in the cavern and he stopped his team in surprise. "Beni?"

"Ash, Akari." He greeted them with a curt nod. "Somehow I knew it would be you two that would come."

"Why are you here?" Akari asked, genuinely confused.

"Commander Kamado brought me along to manage the food supply for this mission...though I suppose my job here is to get rid of you." Beni replied, his eyes turning to a cold hard glare.

"What?!" Ash gasped, but before anyone else could express their concerns or questions, Beni threw a smoke bomb down on the ground, filling the cave with smoke that made Ash's team cough and shield their faces.

"What's he doing?!" May yelled through her coughing fit. Finally, the smoke began to clear and Beni was still standing before them, but his outfit had been altered. He now resembled a ninja right down to the perfected stance.

"What the?!" Akari gasped.

"Beni stop!" Ash yelled.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Beni answered as he threw out three pokéballs. From the balls came a Gardevoir, a Sneasler, and a Gallade all at once. "Destroy them."

"Guess we've got no choice…May, you handle Gallade. Akari, you handle Gardevoir. I'll handle his Sneasler." Ash instructed his friends.

"Right." May nodded as she grabbed a pokeball.

"No problem." Akari agreed as she did the same.

"Braviary help me out!" Ash called as he threw out his pokeball and released his powerful Flying type.

"Brav!" Braviary announced himself. Beni's Sneasler smirked and charged at Braviary with incredible speed.

"Use Aerial Ace!" Ash ordered his partner. Braviary flew in with even more speed and managed to strike Sneasler with Aerial Ace, pushing Sneasler back several feet.

"Snea!" Snealer yelled as he shook off the hit and then moved in with Poison Jab.

"Braviary use Esper Wing!" Ash countered. Braviary's feathers began to glow purple with psychic power and he fired off an Esper Wing that collided head-on with his incoming opponent. Sneasler was thrown backward from the hit but still struggled to get back to his feet.

"Snea…!" he growled.

"Let's wrap this up! Braviary use Aerial Ace one more time!" the trainer called out.

"Ary!" Braviary nodded and launched his body back into the attack. And just as Sneasler was about to get back onto his feet, Braviary struck him again with Aerial Ace, sending Sneasler flying backward where he slammed into the cave wall and fainted.

"That's one down!" Ash grinned as he looked towards the girls to check on their battles.

"Shadow Ball!" May called out to her Zorua, who responded quickly and fired Shadow Ball at Beni's Gallade. The attack landed a powerful hit and send Gallade careening into the back wall where he also fainted.

"Zoru!" Zorua happily barked as he jumped into May's arms and nuzzles her. May hugged him with a big smile on her face.

"Way to go! You were amazing!"

"One more Poison Jab Sneasler!" Akari called to her Sneasler. Sneasler ran right at Beni's Gardevoir and struck her right in the chest with a powerful Poison Jab. Gardevoir collapsed to the ground and fainted from the hit. "Nice work!"

"Sne sneas." Snearler smirked as she flicked her head feather confidently.

"Hm. Impressive." Beni conceded as he recalled his three Pokemon to their pokeballs.

"Beni you have to let us through. We have a way to solve this crisis." Ash insisted.

"I suppose the way Kamado and I have done things before may not be the best way anymore…" Beni sighed.

"What do you mean?" Akari asked.

"Kamado and I saw our hometown burned to the ground by maddened Pokémon running amok long ago. We lost plenty of friends and comrades that day. That's why Kamado came here to Hisui to try to build a new home where people could live free from fear. But to achieve something truly great, we've always believed you sometimes have to take extreme actions. Perhaps that way of thinking may be outdated." Beni explained.

"Oh wow…" May whispered under her breath.

"Commander Kamado is just ahead at the Temple of Sinnoh. I ask that you save Kamado from himself. And save all of Hisui." He added, stepping aside so they can pass.

"We will." Ash nodded as he recalled Braviary to his pokeball and ran toward the cave's exit. May and Akari recalled their Pokemon as well and ran after Ash as they all headed for the Temple.

To be Continued...